The present invention was created to fill the need for a portable, collabsible support stand. Although the specific need arose in the content of lighting support in the photography industry, it is apparent that the invention can be used for any application requiring support of a relatively light weight object.
A professional photographer requires a great deal of equipment to practice his craft. In addition to cameras, film, etc., proper lighting is essential. In particular, elevated adjustable lighting is often required. To this end, tripod stands are utilized.
The standard setup is a stand with a light affixed to its upper end. Vertical adjustment is achieved by leaving the light in place and telescoping the stand. With presently available equipment, the job requires both hands. This forces a photographer to put down his camera whenever he wishes to change his lighting. Similarly, the original setup is of course a two-handed job with standard equipment.
The prior art has several examples of tripod-type stands. Most seem to be relative to an easel application. The "Plural Leg Stand", U.S. Pat. No. 4,326,687, issued Apr. 27, 1982 to C. Wayne Cliburh, is one such device. Another is the "Tripod Stand", U.S. Pat. No. 4,502,654, issued Mar. 5, 1985 to Percy F. Albee, Jr.
There are also some special application devices, such as the "Readily Collapsable Portable Lighting System Having a Simplified Holder for Color Filters", U.S. Pat. No. 4,319,311, issued Mar. 9, 1982, to W. Phillip Mitchell.
All of the devices currently available have one or more of the following disadvantages: Many devices allow limited adjustment capacity as to the position of the supported object. Most of the devices cannot be stored in a very compact space. While many devices are collapsable, none return to the support position in an automatic fashion.